PlanetSide

"Has the potential to still be one of the best FPS on the PC market."

Gameplay (10/10):
The shining point of this game, the gameplay is amazing. Though you can have a lot of fun playing solo, running around with a machine gun or driving the lightning (a one-man tank), the more teamwork that you incorporate into your game, the more fun you will have. By joining a squad (of up to 10 members), you can see where your squadmates are and talk to them on a specialized text-based chat channel, no matter where they are. Above the squad is the platoon, a sort of ''squad of squads,'' which combines three squads into one. You have all of the benefits of your regular squad, but you can also see your platoonmates on your map and talk to them in platoon chat.
Outfits are another method of player organization, they are large groups of players, akin to ''clans'' of other online games. Some outfits run their own Teamspeak 2 servers, and that added element of voice communication makes teamwork a breeze and fun to do. The largest allegiance you hold, however, is that to your own empire. When you first create your character, you must choose between the freedom-fighting New Conglomerate, the technology-loving Vanu, or the loyalist Terrans. Because once you're out on the battlefield, you are most concerned with protecting the other members of your empire and destroying the members of the opposing ones.

Graphics (7/10):
Though the game requires an amazing computer in order for it to run on near-top end graphics settings, if you do have that computer then you will be pleasantly suprised at the detail on your armor, on the weapons, in the environment and in the cockpit of your vehicles. However, on lower end settings, the graphics do suffer more and more. So, the graphics score could be anywhere between a 5/10 to a 9/10 depending on how fast your computer is.

Sound (8/10):
The sound effects in the game are fairly good, and though they are repetitive, they are not distracting or annoying in any way. It is easy to distinguish that sniper on the hill from the plasma-orb shooting grunt behind you, and it comes in handy when you need to be aware of your surroundings to survive.

Replayability (10/10):
The best part of this game is that you can do literally anything and be any type of character that you want to be. Want to be an anti-vehicular missle toting grunt? You can. Enjoy killing lots of enemies with the biggest machine gun you can find? You can do that as well. Like to sneak around, avoiding the action because of an invisible suit that you're wearing? You can do that too. Like to just stand around, helping your team win the battle? Get some medical and engineering certs and lay down mines to protect your base, repair vehicle and personal armor, revive your fallen comrades and help to regenerate their heath. Almost any class you could want to be, you can be.

Total (9/10):
Though I didn't average the scores for the total, I also considered other parts of the game such as updates, company-player interaction, and player-player interaction into the total. The updates that SOE has put into this game mostly consist of balance-based patches, but there has been an expansion pack and two stand-alone vehicles added to the game since its release. SOE customer-represantives have been around to keep the peace in the game, by banning disorderly players and warning other ones, all to help keep the game fun. However, the best part of the game is the interaction that you have with your fellow players, friend and foe alike. The bonds you make with the people you help or help to kill are what make this game amazing.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/04